Artificial denture.



E. G. BENNETT.

ARTIFICIAL DENTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

VIE

ERNEST CLIFFORD BENNETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' ARTIFICIAL DENTUBE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912.

Application filed May 17, 1911. Serial No. 627,671.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Dentures, which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in artificial dentures, and particularly to a simple and effective form of removable bridge.

The object of the present invention is to secure a simple, inexpensive and exceedingly compact bridge fastening whereby an artificial bridge may be readily attached and detached, and which, when in position, fits, with exceeding snugness, to the anchorage tooth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation conventionally representing part of a gum with my improved bridge thereon. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the bridge removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bridge.

1 represents conventionally part of a gum; 2 represents an anchorage tooth, which is usually one of the human teeth, properly capped or strapped, whereby one of the metallic fastening elements for the bridge may be properly secured thereto. This particular element comprises a flat strap 3 located on' that side of the abutment tooth 2 adjacent to the bridge. This fiat strap is spaced oif slightly from the rear of the tooth to provide a vertical passage or eye to receive the hook-bill later described. This passage is best seen in Fig. A, and it will be observed that said passage is of substantial width, yet very narrow.

4 represents the saddle of the bridge, the same being conformed properly to the gum where said bridge is to rest and being provided with one or more artificial teeth 5-5--5, (see Figs. 1, 3 and 5) as the particular case may require. At the front end of this bridge I rigidly secure a downwardly turned fiat hook-bill 6, a cross section of which conforms accurately to the horizontal cross section of the upright passage formed by the strap 3. The base of the hookbill may be secured in any desired manner to the artificial bridge, whereby the hookbill 6 will be firmly held.

77 are spring clips suitably secured to the bridge and extending forwardly, and being so contoured as to slip down over the abutment tooth 2, partially embracing the same to aid in holding the bridge in place, particularly against accidental lift.

It will be observed that the space between the bridge and the rear of the abutment tooth 2 is reduced to a minimum since the flat strap 3 forming the eye is oifset but very slightly from the rear of the abutment tooth 2, it being possible to offset the same slightly by reason of the fact that the hook-bill 6 may be made comparatively thin so as to slide through said eye, and yet of sufficient strength, by reason of its width, to hold the bridge firmly against the abutment tooth so that with the cooperation of the clips 7-7, a most secure and most compact fastening is provided. It is obvious that by this arrangement there are no pockets formed in which food may accumulate. The lower edge of the strap 3 is spaced away from the upper surface of the natural gum so that when the hook-bill 6 passes into the eye at the rear of the strap, it will expel any matter that might be contained therein, which is immediately washed away by the saliva or by rinsing the mouth. By this arrangement, the hook-bill, which may be made of spring material, may be set at such an angle that, when forced into the eye, it will exert a pressure in such a direction as to cause the saddle l to yieldingly press down upon the gum with just enough force to guarantee against looseness and yet with not enough force to afford discomfort to the wearer. My invention has the further advantage of great simplicity, and hence, may be economically and quickly produced. Again, by reason of this construction, namely, the yielding hookbill, which yields in a direction to allow for a slight spring to the saddle toward the gum, breaking the hook-bill or tearing away the strap 3, since the spring of the hook-bill does not exert an undue strain either upon its own base fastening or upon the strap eye.

What I claim is:

1. A removable artificial bridge comprising a saddle portion arranged to rest upon the natural gum, an artificial tooth carried thereby, fastening means for securing said bridge to a permanent abutment tooth comprising a flat strap secured to one side of the tooth and forming a fiat eye passage, said there is no danger ofeye being open at the top and bottom only,

a spring hook carried by the saddle and comprising a substantially flat bill portion arranged to fit into said fiat eye and two curved spring clips horizontally arranged and adapted to yieldingly embrace the sides of sald permanent abutment tooth, said spring clips being'also carried by said saddle.

2. A removable artificial bridge comprising a saddle portion arranged to rest upon the natural gum, an artificial tooth carried thereby, fastening means for securing said bridge to a permanent abutment tooth and forming an eye or passage open at the top and bottom only, a spring hook carried by the saddle and arranged to fit into said eye, and means carried by said saddle projecting forwardly therefrom and arranged to embrace the sides of said abutment tooth.

3. A removable artificial bridge comprising a saddle portion arranged to rest upon the natural gum, an artificial tooth carried thereby,

fastening means for securing said bridge to a permanent abutment tooth, said fastening means comprising a pair of interlocking devices, one of said pair of devices being arranged at the end of said saddle portion, the other of said pair of devices being arranged on the side of said abutment tooth adjacent thereto, in combination With a pair of clips carried by said saddle portion and arranged to embrace said abutment tooth on opposite sides, said first mentioned connecting means and said clips coacting to hold said bridge in operative position relatively to said abutment tooth.

ERNEST CLIFFORD BENNETT.

Witnesses:

E. E. MORSE, CHAS. A. PEARD.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

